Can end assembling machine



Dec. 9, 1941. J. H. MURCH CAN END AS SEMBLING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 10, 1940 W Hume} QR/am AT R EYS Dec.9, 1941. J. H. MURCH v 2,265,188

CAN END ASSEMBLING MACHINE Fil ed Sept. 10, 1940 shg ets -sheet 2 El 7.4 66 7/ 66 65 67 6? 7 INVENTOR. V ar WM BY 31mg ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 9, 1941' CAN END ASSEMBLING MACHINE John H. Murch, East Orange, N.'J., assignor to American Can Com Dany, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New Jersey Application September 10, 1940, Serial 180356320 3 Claims. The present invention relates to can end as 'sembling machines and the like and has particular reference to curling over a flange part of a flbre can body to hold an end member in place in the body. This is an improvement on the Can end assembling machine disclosed in United States Patent 2,200,276, issued May 14, 1940, to J. M. Hothersall et al.

In securing end members to fibre containers of the character disclosed in United States Patent v2,085,979, issued July 6, 1937, to J. M. Hothersall, wherein a flange part of the can body is folded inwardly over the inserted end member, it has been found most convenient to fold the fiange part with a curling head which travels in endwise relation to the end of the can to be closed. In such a curling head the curling edge sometimes cuts into the edge flange at the beginning of the curling operation and thereby splits the fibre material of which the body is made. This causes difllculty in forming the end seam on the can.

The instant invention contemplates overcoming this difllculty by providing a curling head having elements which surround and back.up the flange to be curled and further having a serrated curling edge which fits into matching serrations in the surrounding elements so that no sharp curling edges will come in engagement with the edge of the flange with the result that splitting of the flange will be prevented.

An object therefore of the invention is the provision of a mechanism for curling the flange of Y a fibre can body into overlapping relation to an end member inserted within the body, wherein the curling member of the mechanism is formed to engage the body flange endwise and outside of the flange so that the edge of the body will be engaged by a curved portion of the curling edge and will be prevented from being split apart by such curling edge at the beginning of the flange.

curling operation.

Another object is the provision in such a mechanism 01' a curling member formed with serrations which operate in matching serrations formed in surroundingflange confining elements which back up the flange and prevent its outward displacement, the curling member also being formed with a curved curling edge which extends into the serrations in the holding elements and this allows the curved portion of the curling edge to engage and start the'curling of the flange while shielding the flange from any sharp edges on the curling member so that splitting of the edge of the flange will be prevented.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings,

discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional view of the flange folding station of a can end assembling machine embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away; a

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2-in Fig. 1, with parts broken away; a

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front face view of the flange confining and folding elements used in the machine; a

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the broken line 44 in Fig. 3, with parts broken away, and showing one end of a can in place for flange folding; and l Fig.- 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail showing some of the parts in Fig. 4 in a different position relative to the can.

As a preferred embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate principal parts of a can body flange folding station of a can end assembling machine of the character disclosed in the above mentioned Hothersall Patent 2,200,276.

In such a machine the work to be done is dis-' closed as a rectangular shaped fibre can body A (Figs. 1 and 4) having an inwardly bent annular bead or shoulder B which terminates in a straight longitudinally extending annular flange C. Bodies of this character when they enter the flange folding station carry flat fibre end members D which are in inserted position within the can body and are in engagement with the bead shoulder B, as shown in Fig. 4.

A can body A with its inserted'end member D is carried through the'machine in a horizontal position in an intermittent or step-by-step manner on a conveyor H (Fig. 1) which is actuated in. any suitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the machine. When the con- 'veyor comesto rest between movements it brings a can body A into position adjacent the'flange folding station with the end of the body in line with a can holding head I2 (Figs. 1 and 2).

A pusher plate 13 disposed at the opposite end of the body pushes it transversely of the conveyor and inserts one end into the holding head. This pusher plate may be actuated in any suitable manner operating in time with the other moving parts of the machine.

The cam holding head 12 includes a stationary 'cylindrically shaped bracket I! which is bolted their inner ends the slides are formed with shaped jaws is which are adapted to engage within the bead shoulders B of the can body A (see also Fig.4).

The outer ends of the slides II are formed with bosses 2| which extend through radial slots 22 formed in the cylindrical bracket l5. These bosses carry cam rollers 21 which operate in inclined cam slots 25 formed in a rotatable cam disc 26 disposed in an'annular recess 21 in the bracket lb. -The disc is held in place by a gib ring 28 which is secured to the outer face of the bracket.

The cam disc 26 is fltted with a rack 3| which meshes with a segment gear 32 formed on a crank arm 33 .keyed to a rock shaft 34 carried in suitable I bearings of the machine main frame It. The rock shaft is oscillated in any suitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the machine.

Hence when the rock shaft 34 moves in one direction it rocks the. segment. gear 32 and through the rack ll rotates'the cam disc 28 in its recess 21. This shifts the cam slots 25 relative to the cam rollers 24 and thus the slides H -ment its flange C is curled over against the inserted end member D to hold the latter in place.

This curling operation is effected by a horizontally movable punch ll (Fig. 1) which is shifted toward the end of them. For this purpose the punch is formed on a slide block I! which is retained in a slidewav 43 formed in a bracket 44 bolted to the top of the main frame It. The slide carries a cam roller 45 which extends down through a slot 46 in the bracket and operates in a cam groove 41 of a rocker cam it. The cam is preferably keyed to the rocker shaft 3|.

screws are threaded into a shoulder portion ll of the punch. A large head I! -on each screw limits the inner travel of the ring while compression springs ll retained in bores 12, ll. formed respectively in the ring and in the punch shoulder, normally keep the ring in its inward position against the heads of the screws.

The inside surface of the inner end of the ring 88 is formed with a plurality of square cut serrations II which match with the set-rations II in the punch and provide clearance spaces for the punch tongues 59. The ring serrations set off tongues 16 which extend into the punch ser- I cannot come in contact with the can body, as

will be. further explained hereinafter.

Hence when the rocker shaft 84 moves these can holding jaws i! into position against the can to hold it, it also rocks the cam 40 and moves the punch 4| forward toward the end of the held can. The timing is such that the jaws l9 are fully in place before the punch starts forward so that the jaws will back up the can bead shoulders B during the curling or bumping action.

The forward end of the punch ll is preferably hollow in order to provide a shell of square cross;

section to flt the square can body A. The face of this punch shell is formed with-a concave annular recess 52 (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) having a curved surface 53 terminating in an outer edge 54. The

outside of the punch side walls is preferably 5 through a shouldered bore ii in the ring. The 3.5

The innermost edge of the ring 65 extends beyond the punch Ii and is tapered both inwardly and outwardly to form a wedge 18. The inward taper, indicated by the numeral 8|, is adjacent the can body flange C and extends back into the inside serrated surface 11 of the ring. The dimension between opposite faces of this ring surface is exactly the dimension across the can on the outside of the flange C.

The outer taper, indicated by the numeral ll. extends back into a shoulder cut 84 formed in the outside of the ring. The tapered wedge thus formed by these two tapered surfaces is adapted to extend into corresponding tapered recesses 85 formed in the jaws it. These latter serve as centering devices for bringing the jaws into.

proper position, transversely of the can body when the punch moves forward.

Hence as the punch 4| moves toward the end ward displacement for the full area around the body. As the punch continues to move in toward the can the wedge I9 of the ring engages into the wedge recesses 85 in the jaws ii and thus properly centers them and the can 'held by them. This arrests further forward movement of the ring which remains stationary while the compression springs ll permit thepunch to continue on its forward stroke.

The continued forward movement of the punch slides its serrations 58 and tongues 59 along the serrations l5 and tongues 16 of the ring and thus brings the curved surface 53 of the curling recess 52 into endwise engagement with the outer edge of the flange C. Since the edge 54 of the curling recess is shielded by the serrations 58, I5, it moves in along the flange but on the outside thereof and is thus prevented from coming into engagement with the can flange. This insures that only the smooth curved surface 53 is pressed home so as to crease the outer edge of the flangeasshowninFig. 5.

The curling action terminates when the edge 64 of the punch comes into engagement with the jaws It. The punch is thereupon withdrawn and the jaws are moved outwardly away from the can so that it may be removed from the head II to its original position in the conveyor for further advancement. Removal of thecan may be done in any suitable manner, preferably by hook flngers 89 as disclosedin the Hothersall Patent 2,200,276. These hook flngers may be actuated in any suitable manner operating in time with the other moving parts of the machine.

It should be understood that it is not intended in this particular assembling operation to seal the flange tight against the can end member. although if it is'desired such a sealing operation could be done by the punch. In the instant machine the flange is permitted to spring back into an inclined position so that the thermoplastic adhesive which is carried by the flange may be heated at another station in the machine and the flange thenpermanently sealed in place.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for securing can ends in place within flbre can'bodies having a projecting annular flange and against a shoulder formed by an inwardly extending bead in the can bodies, the combination of a support member surrounding the flange of the can body .for supporting it against outward displacement. and a curling element movable within said member and having a curved curling edge formed in a face thereof-for engaging the body flange endwise to curl it inwardly into overlapping position against the can the body flange while the outer periphery of the curling d e will be shielded against engagement with the body flange.

2. In an apparatus for securing can ends in place within flbre can bodies having a projecting annular flange and against a shoulder formed by an inwardly extending bead in the can bodies, the combination of a curling head movable toward and away from the end of a can body and having a concave curling recess formed in a face thereof 1 for engaging the body flange endwise to curl it inwardly into overlapping position against the can end, an auxiliary head surrounding said curling head and adapted to be moved adjacent said body flange on the outside thereof to back up the flange and to prevent it from being forced outwardly, the outer annular surface of the mixiliary head being formed with matching and interlocking tongues and grooves into which the outeredge of the curling recess extends to shield and protect it so that only the adjacent curved I portion of the curling recess will engage the body flange to prevent crushing and splitting of the flange.

3. In an apparatus for securing can ends in place within flbre can bodies having a projectin annular flange and against a shoulder formed by an inwardlyextending bead in the can bodies. the combination of a curling head movable toward and away from the end of a can body and hav n a concave curling recess formed in a face thereof for engaging the'body flange endwise to curl it inwardly into overlapping position against the and surrounding said curling head and adapted to be moved with said curling head to a position adjacent said body flange on the outside thereof to back up the flange and to prevent it from beingforced outwardly, the outer annular surface of the curling head and the inner annular surface of the auxiliary head being formed with matching and interlocking tongues and grooves into which the outer edge of the curling recess extends to shield and protect it so that only the adjacent curved portion of the curling recess will engage the body flange and thereby prevent crushing and spliting of the flange, and means for shifting said curling head to flrst bring the auxiliary head into position adjacent the can body and thn to bring the curling head into position to eiiect the curling operation. I JOHN H. MURCH. 

